NFE Materials Development

Rationale

Volunteers are often placed in areas where basic materials and
supplies are lacking. These participants and their counterparts will welcome the
opportunity to make boards and demonstration figures for presenting NFE
activities that can be taken to their sites and a simple, non-mechanical copier
that can be carried in a back-pack. Participants also need to practice using the
materials, both to solve the technical problems in making and manipulating them,
and to better understand how to involve and entertain the audience.

Objectives of Session

· To make NFE presentation materials from local
resources.· To practice giving presentations using the materials.

Activity Sequence

1. Warm-up

20 minutes

2. Making NFE Materials for a Presentation

90 minutes

(includes informal break)

3. Presentations

60 minutes

4. Evaluation of Session

10 minutes

Total Time Required

180 minutes

Materials Needed

· Flannel Board:

Cardboard sheets - One meter squareFlannel or rough cloth -
A little larger than the cardboardStapler, tacks and hammer or glue

Learn. Have these references on hand for participants to look at
during the session.

4. Assemble materials

5. Find a way to heat a large pot of gelatin mixture (for the
copier) at the workshop site

(see Directions for Making and Using the NFE Materials in this
Session).

6. Work with your co-trainer to make one demonstration model of
each of the materials your participants will make (see Directions). This will
help you make sure that the local resources you are using work well, and will
help you identify and solve any problems with the materials before the session
begins, e NOTE: This step is especially important for the copier, which requires
special ink and glue. You will also need a working copier for one of the groups
to use to do their presentation, as the gelatin copier they make may take
several hours to set.

7. Arrange three tables so that groups can gather around them to
make materials. Arrange materials for Activity 2 on tables: Group 1 will make
flannelboards and flannelboard figures, Group 2 will make flexiflans and
maxiflans, and Group 3 will make one or more hectographs and materials for a
community display (for a bulletin board, handouts, etc.).

8. Gather a boxful of local "junk." to use in the warm-up.
("Junk" in your local context could be anything from empty soda cans, cellophane
wrappers, plastic bottles, bottle tops, old magazines, etc. to "natural junk"
such as palm fronds, coconut shells, brightly colored flowers and berries,
sticks, vines and grasses, nuts, seeds, sea shells, stones, etc.)

9. Be sure the participants who signed up to do the warm-up and
evaluation have the materials they need and are ready.

Directions for Making and Using the NFE Materials in this
Session

NOTE: Some of the following materials and/or directions are
slightly different from those in the NFE manual. Use whichever version suits
your context and uses materials that are locally available.

Roll-up Blackboard

NOTE: We suggest that you make one (or several) of these to use
as your blackboard in this and upcoming sessions to demonstrate to participants
how effective and workable locally made materials can be. Although participants
will not make these blackboards during this session, you may want to consider
doing an extra evening session to give them a chance to make these and other
materials they have indicated on the Interests/Skills Inventory.

Description and Use

The roll-up blackboard is simply a large piece of black vinyl
cloth attached to a stick and hung up with a piece of twine. It is portable and
light-weight, and can be used anywhere you would use a chalkboard: in meetings,
in adult education classes, in school rooms or in workshops. In working with
small groups, you can use several roll-ups instead of flip chart paper.

You can write on the vinyl with ordinary chalk and erase it with
a damp cloth. You can prepare the written material before you need it, roll up
the blackboard inside out and carry it to your meeting or class. Or, you can
write on it at the time you need it by hanging it against a flat surface such as
a wall or the outside of a building, e NOTE: To construct a permanent, outdoor
flat surface from locally available materials, see Helping Health Workers Learn.

Materials Needed (for one board)

· 1 square meter black vinyl (the cloth-backed kind you
would use at home to cover a chair or a car seat. This is often found in local
markets or hardware stores abroad)

1. Tack a square meter (more or less) of black vinyl to the
wooden stick.

2. To hang up the blackboard, tie a piece of heavy twine to both
ends of the stick.

OPTION

Try using large sheets of heavy, light-colored plastic as
another type of lightweight "board." Experiment with water-based markers to be
sure the writing can be completely erased with a damp cloth. The sheets can be
folded up and transported to the presentation site (where they can be used like
flip chart paper, one per small group), or they can be attached to light sticks,
top and bottom, and rolled up like the blackboard, above.

Flannel Boards

Description and Use

The flannel board is a piece of rough-surfaced material attached
to a piece of cardboard to hold it flat. It serves as a background for drawings,
pictures, symbols, captions and flexiflans. The display materials are backed
with sandpaper or other rough surfaced material. They adhere to the background
with slight pressure and can easily be removed or rearranged on the flannel
board.

One problem with flannel boards is that the display materials
easily fall off or are disturbed by the wind. To avoid this, make the display
materials from light cardboard (rather than paper) and attach the roughest grade
of wood sandpaper to their backs. When presenting the material, rest the flannel
board on a chair or against a tree and tilt it back slightly so that the
pictures stay in place.

Materials Needed (for one board)

· 1 large sheet of cardboard

· 1 larger piece of flannel or rough cloth

· Tape, staples, tacks or glue to attach cloth to cardboard
backing

NOTE Volunteers have also successfully used copra sacks or
burlap stretched between thin bamboo poles, and rough, locally made blankets as
flannel boards. Health workers in Mexico have found that masonite (fiberboard)
works well without being covered with cloth.Directions

1. Tack, staple, tape or glue the rough cloth to the cardboard.

2. To use the flannel board, set it up on a chair, tilted
slightly backwards.

OPTION

If your area is very windy, try making a magnet board out of an
old metal sign or cutup lard tin. Attach pictures to the board by gluing small
magnets to their backs. These can be made by magnetizing metal nuts with an old
induction coil from an automobile. Ask a local mechanic to help you.

Reference: Helping Health Workers Learn.

Hectograph (Gelatin Duplicator)

Description and Use

The hectograph is one of the cheapest and easiest non-mechanical
devices for making 30 to 50 copies of drawings or written materials. It is
basically a firm but flexible gelatin pad that can be stored and reused many
times, and carried in a backpack on field trips to make training materials as
you need them.

Carbon paper or a special ink is used to make a master copy of
the item to be reproduced. When this master copy is placed face-down on the
gelatin surface, the ink transfers to it. Copies can be made by placing single
sheets of a fairly hard-surfaced paper on the gelatin one at a time for a few
minutes.

The ink will sink down into the gelatin after 24 hours, leaving
the surface ready for a new master copy. Store your duplicator in a plastic bag,
away from dust. You may need to dampen the surface with warm water each time you
use it to smooth out any wrinkles in the gelatin.

If ditto masters or carbon paper are not available, try making
your own ink by mixing 22 cc alcohol, 14 cc water and 2 grams Indigo blue. Other
colors can be made by using dyes such as saffron (yellow-orange) and green of
methyl instead of Indigo blue.

1. Choose a formula from above. If a glue-based formula is used,
let the glue sit broken in the water for 2 hours and then heat the mixture (in a
can or pot) over or in a pot of boiling water until the glue is dissolved.

2. Add other ingredients and heat for 15 minutes (7 minutes for
Formula 1), and skim any scum off the surface, stirring occasionally.

3. Pour this mixture into a flat shallow pan (straining it
through a loosely woven cloth will eliminate any dirt particles) and allow it to
sit for a few hours.(24 hours for Formula 1)

4. Once the transfer pad is ready, write your message, newsheet
or drawing with ink (see formula above) onto a sheet of good quality paper (if
the paper and pad are working right, you can sometimes use a ball point pen for
this part).

5. Use a slightly damp sponge or rag to dampen the entire
surface of the transfer pad.

6. Place the paper, ink side down, on the transfer pad. Smooth
it down and leave for 4 to 6 minutes.

7. Carefully remove the paper master and the ink will have
transferred to the pad. Smooth a clean sheet of paper over the image and allow 5
to 10 seconds for the transfer (allow more time for transfer as additional
copies are made).

8. When finished, wipe the surface with a damp cloth/sponge and
cover with paper. The remaining ink will transfer or be absorbed by the gelatin
and the pad can be reused the next day.

NOTE: The gelatin compound can be recooked and recast to destroy
old images or blemishes on the pad.

Flexiflans and Maxiflans

Description and Use

Flexiflans are figures for the flannelboard with moveable
joints. They are made from light cardboard with metal clasps at their neck,
elbows, hips and knees to make them more lifelike and to encourage the audience
to get involved by posing them in different positions and moving them around on
the flannel board at appropriate points in the story or presentation. They can
also be given to a small group to handle as they discuss, for example, an issue
of local needs.

Flexiflans arc especially effective to stimulate discussion
among people who are not used to being asked their opinions. Prepare a variety
of flexis representing local people, and ask small groups to choose the ones
they like in order to share something about their community.

If sandpaper is not available, home-made sandpaper can be easily
produced. Spread a thin layer of glue on cardboard, then sprinkle on a light
covering of sand. Allow to dry and shake off excess sand.

Instead of sandpaper - You can also use wheat chaff (the barbed
husks left over after wheat is made into grain) glued onto the backs of the
flexiflans with flour and water paste.

See Helping Health Workers Learn, pp. 11-18 and 11-19

Directions

1. Draw the arms, legs, body and head of the figure separately
on light cardboard.

Figures should be made facing opposite directions so that they
can be made to "talk" together on the flannel board.

2. Cut out body parts. Attach them with metal clasps. The
simplest kind of attachment is thumb tacks, pushed through the cardboard and
lightly hammered down on the back side. You can also use dressmaker's snaps or
two-pronged brass paper fasteners. Parts should be free to move.

3. Color the figure as desired with markers, or glue on faces
and culturally appropriate "clothes" cut from old magazines. To add a touch of
realism, use photos of key local people in the situation or drama that the group
wants to present.

4. Attach a sandpaper strip to the back with glue.

5. Try out your flexi on a flannel board and make technical
improvements, if necessary.

NOTE

In Indonesia, local people made flexiflans from photos pasted on
light cardboard of well-known characters in their village. They used the flexis
to talk about problems and plan an effective course

6. Participants can also experiment with making large size
maxiflans. These figures have been made up to two feet high (from the torso up)
and can be displayed against a large blanket draped over a blackboard.

Maxiflans have been used successfully when presenting Problem
Dramas (See Session 5, Activity 2). Three characters are constructed, a main
character who presents the problem, and two minor characters who give
conflicting advice. Names may be assigned to characters and placed on cards
below the figures as they are introduced.

See: Took for Community Participation, pages 83-87 for models of
beautiful flexiflans and more suggestions for their use.

Flannel Board Figures

Description and Use

Non-moveable flannel board figures such as people, animals,
houses, trees, charts, captions or symbols can be used instead of flexiflans or
to accompany them. Cut-outs should be large so that the audience can see them
clearly. Simple, brightly colored displays are more visually effective than
complicated, detailed pictures. Lettering for labels or titles should be bold.
Figures should be in proportion to each other, larger in the foreground, smaller
in the background.

Purpose To stimulate participants' imagination in using local
materials for NFE activities.

NOTE Starting with this activity and for the rest of the
sessions you could use the roll-up blackboard(s) you have made (See directions
page98) as a practical demonstration of how home-made materials are usable
and sensible in your context.

Step - by - Step

1. Display the local "junk." you have collected (See Trainer
Preparation 8) so that all participants can see and handle it. (If appropriate
in your context, you might spread it out on a blanket on the floor as in an
outdoor market)

2. Explain that since this session focuses on making NFE
materials, the group could start by seeing how creative and original they can be
in thinking of uses for common things in the environment for NFE activities.

3. Ask the group for one or two examples of how some of these
materials could be used in NFE or work-related activities. (They don't have to
actually use them, just think of possible uses.) Examples: berries could be used
for dye or paint; bottle caps could be strung together in many long strands to
make a curtain for a puppet show, a stick could be frayed to make a paintbrush,
coconut shells might act as props for a role play (hats? a noisemaker?), etc.

4. Ask participants to form groups of 4 or 5. Give each group a
piece of flip chart paper and a marker.

5. Say that groups will have 10 minutes to look at the articles
displayed and think of all the possible ways they could be used in NFE
activities. A recorder for each group should write down their ideas on flip
chart paper. The group that thinks of the most ideas (or perhaps the most
original ideas) wins the contest.

6. Keep time (10 minutes).

7. When time is up, ask groups to post their flip charts and
give everyone a few minutes to walk around and look at the ideas that have
emerged. Have the entire group vote on a "winner."

OPTION

If you want to emphasize cooperation over competition, you might
have groups share ideas informally as they think of them, the object being to
try as a large group to come up with the maximum number of ideas.

Activity 2: Making NFE Materials for a Presentation

Activity Tune 90 minutes (includes informal break)

Purpose To make NFE materials and practice using them.

NOTE: You have already set up tables and materials for this
activity (See Trainer Preparation 7).

Step - by - Step

1. Let the group know that the purpose of this activity is to
make NFE materials and use them to make presentations similar to those they may
actually do in their work.

2. Suggest that they divide into three working groups; Group 1
will make flannelboards and flannelboard figures, Group 2 will make flexiflans
and maxiflans, and Group 3 will make hectographs and materials for a community
display.

3. Say that each group will be given a handout with sample work
situations for which these NFE materials could be used. Emphasize that it is
important for them to practice using the materials to stimulate discussion
rather than simply make them. To give them a chance to do this, the groups will
have 90 minutes to both make the materials and to prepare a presentation using
the materials they have made. This presentation will later be made involving the
large group. Since the time for the break is included in the 90 minutes,
participants should take their break whenever they need to during the activity,
e NOTE: The group making hectographs may need to use the demonstration model you
have made earlier for their presentation, as the gelatin may take a few hours to
set completely.

FOR IST: Groups should create their presentations around the
real work situation of one of their members. If you like, you can use the PST
handouts as examples of situations (page 111), and then ask each group to think
of a similar situation that one of the members might actually be involved in.

NOTE

If participants express an interest in making more materials
than is possible in this session, consider adding an informal evening session
for participants to make materials to take to their sites.

4. Explain these materials and their uses briefly (See
Directions for Making and Using the NFE Materials in this Session) and show
demonstration models if you have made them.

5. Ask the group to divide themselves more-or-less equally
according to the materials they would like to make, and go to the appropriate
tables.

6. Give each participant the handout Situations for
Presentations Using Locally Made

Materials. Let the groups know they can choose any of the
situations or develop their own instead. They should plan to make a 15 minute
presentation to the large group with the materials they have made at the end of
their 90 minute work period.

NOTE

The group making the hectographs can create materials for a
community display (newsletter, fliers, cartoons to stimulate discussion,
posters, etc.) and explain strategies for getting local people involved in
planning, making and using the materials.

7. Keep time (about 90 minutes total, including break). Work
with groups to help them develop meaningful presentations. Refer groups to
whatever books you have on hand to give them ideas for presentations and
adaptations of materials (See Related References at end of this Session.)
Encourage groups to make adaptations of the materials to fit the local context.

Example: One group redesigned the flannel board to be more
easily transportable by sewing a large hem on both top and bottom of the cloth
and inserting removable bamboo poles. The cloth "board." could then be folded
and carried in a backpack and the poles could be replaced at each site where the
Volunteer was doing a presentation.

Activity 3: Presentations and Processing

Activity Time 60 minutes

Purpose To present an NFE activity using the materials they have
made.

Step - by - Step

1. Assemble everyone in the large group. Have each group make
their 15 minute presentations to the audience. (Time: 45 minutes)

NOTE:

Participants should try to involve the audience in their
presentations, but because of time limitations, the emphasis here will be on
making and using the materials to tell a story or to get across a concept,
rather than on getting the audience to reflect and analyze fully. To carry this
exercise further, see the OPTIONS at the end of the activity.

2. Take 15 minutes to process the experience by asking questions
of the large group such as the following:

What materials and techniques made the presentations effective?
Have participants cite specific examples and say what made them effective. Write
their responses on flip chart paper.

What were some of the technical problems involved in making or
using the materials? List on flip chart paper. How might those problems be
solved?

What were some of the problems involved in the presentation of
the stories or concepts? Ask those who presented to mention a few problems they
saw or sensed in the performance. Then have the group add their observations.
List on flip chart paper. Have the group try to give constructive suggestions
for change.

Add your own observations about both the positive aspects and
your suggestions for improving the presentations at the end.

OPTION

Invite a Volunteer or an HCN with experience making such
presentations in the community to come and watch the group's presentations and
talk to them about their own experiences doing these kinds of activities. They
might focus on which materials were particularly effective in the local context,
how they overcame difficulties in developing and using materials, and how they
involved the local community in helping to make materials and present the
activities.

OPTION

If you have about 45 minutes more time available, it is
recommended that you expand Activities 2 and 3 to include planning and
practicing getting the audience involved in critical reflection on the story or
concept presented. Use flannelboard and figures and flexi-/maxiflans for this
option. Puppet shows also can be used here (See NFE Manual Chapter 8 for puppet
making directions).

Step - by - Step for OPTlON (Time: 195 minutes)

1. Participants divide into four small groups and choose a story
or concept they would like to present, using the handout for this exercise
(Situations for Presentations Using Locally Mode Materials) or situations from
their own experience. (30 minutes).

2. Participants make the figures to illustrate their
presentation, as above (45 minutes).

3. Participants write processing questions and rehearse how they
will involve their audience in critical reflection (30 minutes).

4. Participants make their presentations to small groups who act
as the audience (15 minutes per group, i.e. 60 minutes).

The above option can be expanded to be used as a "field test of
participants' ability to practice their NFE skills. Participants decide what to
present in consultation with HCNs and/or cultural coordinators, make their
materials, decide how to involve the audience in the discussion, practice on
each other and critique their presentations. Then they "take their show on the
road," presenting their flannelboard or flexiflan stories to members of the
local community. You will need to arrange beforehand to have a space available
for them in the market, or someone's yard, or on the veranda of a friendly
shopkeeper. If you choose this option, keep the following things in mind:

· Investigate places to hold the "show" before your
workshop begins. Get the necessary permission from owners and/or local
authorities. Create interest by letting local people know that their
participation will help Peace Corps Volunteers work more effectively in the
community.

· You might consider finding two different sites for the
different presentations, according to the audience you expect. For example, a
schoolyard during a recreation period will attract children, a village well
might catch women's attention, and a stall in the weekly market will probably
involve men as well. Plan the logistics of these presentations by having your
co-trainer go with one group, while you go with the other.

· Find out what topics or problems are likely to interest
people but are not politically charged or embarrassing. For example, a flexiflan
presentation about dental hygiene for children is not likely to offend anybody,
especially if the presenters stress the value of inexpensive materials already
used in the culture (such as sticks to clean the teeth). See Helping Health
Workers Learn (pp. 27-37 27-39) for more ideas about a similar presentation.

· Help participants succeed in their demonstrations by
providing a good variety of local materials for them to work with, and by giving
participants adequate time for construction and to practice their presentations
in the local language. Allow a full session for planning the presentation and
developing the figures. In addition, you might allow a free evening just before
the "road show" for participants to practice on their own.

· After participants stage their presentations, bring
everyone back into the training room for critique. Arrange chairs in a circle.
Critique the presentations as follows:

1. Presenters say what they liked about their own presentations
or thought they did well.

2. Presenters mention problems they had with their own
presentations (with materials, dialogue, appropriateness of subject, reaction
and involvement of audience) and how they might avoid these problems next time.

3. Individual observers add the positive things they saw and may
suggest one area for improvement

4. Facilitator and co-trainer add their own observations, both
about the positive qualities and suggestions for improvement.

Activity 4: Evaluation of Session

Activity Time 10 minutes

Purpose To have participants plan and carry out an evaluation of
the session.

Step - by - Step

Have participants who signed up to evaluate the session carry it
out.

For Next Time

Participants can look ova whatever reference materials you have
on games and simulations.

· End of Session 6, time Saver #1

1. Making NFE Materials for a Presentation 90 minutes

2. Presentations 60 minutes

Total Time 150 minutes

Tim" Saver #2

1. Making Boards and Copiers

40 minutes

2. Making Flexiflans,

Flannel Board, Figures and Puppets

40 minutes

3. Evaluation of Session

10 minutes

Total Tune

90 minutes

The purpose of this time saver is only to make materials, not to
design them for presentations. It can be done earlier in the training program
(such as after Session 2). The resulting materials, especially the boards and
copiers, can be used in remaining sessions.

Time Saver #3

Choose other NFE materials that are applicable to your context
from Chapter 8 of the NFE manual or other references. Or use the results of the
Interests/Sldlls Inventory to plan a session based on the needs of participants.

1. Julie learns that women in the next town might be interested
in starting a small business development group. As far as Julie knows, the new
group really has no idea of what they would like to make and sell. Her goals are
to stimulate people's interest, give them confidence, and involve them in
determining what people in the area would buy. Help Julie get discussion started
by using the materials you make to design a 15 minute group activity.

2. Steve is working with farmers who have shown some interest in
using organic compost to fertilize their vegetable plots instead of the
expensive chemical fertilizer that is available in the local shops. However,
several in the group are skeptical, saying that making and applying the compost
is too much work, and besides, using chemicals is the modern way. Steve hopes to
help the group make an informed decision about how best to use their limited
resources to improve their plots. Help him prepare a 15 minute group activity to
stimulate discussion with the materials you have made.

3. John, who is working in latrine construction, has been
informed by the local health officials that cholera cases have been mounting in
the area and that they fear an epidemic. It is vital that they know how many
people are using the latrines that have been built recently in the area, and if
they are not using them, to discover the reasons why. Help John get people
talking about the latrine situation by using the materials you have made to
prepare a 15 minute group activity.

Things to keep in mind:

· Use the materials to get people involved, not to "teach.

· Review the experiential learning cycle and plan how you
can use it to involve your audience in the presentation.